Published: August 09, 2008 12:01 am         

Greg Oden mingles at golf event

TERRE HAUTE — A sporting event involving Greg Oden took place Friday in Terre Haute.

No, the former Terre Haute resident and 7-foot rookie center for the NBA’s Portland Trail Blazers wasn’t dunking a basketball against some overmatched foe.

Instead, Oden mingled, signed autographs and had his photo taken with competitors in the second annual “Travis Smith Memorial Golf Classic Hosted by Greg Oden” at the Country Club of Terre Haute.

Jimmy Smith, Travis’ father and executive director of the Terre Haute Boys & Girls Club, said 73 foursomes (six more than last year) participated in the private event that raised money for the Boys & Girls Club and the Travis Smith Memorial Fund.

Travis Smith, a former standout golfer at Terre Haute South High School and a Ball State University freshman at the time, was killed in an auto accident in Muncie on Jan. 27, 2007. He was 19 and a longtime friend of Oden.

Accompanied Friday by younger brother Anthony Oden and former Indiana University guard Eric Gordon (selected No. 7 overall by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2008 NBA draft), Oden hung out the last two days with former teammates from the Rim Rattlers AAU basketball team that he and Travis Smith played on when they were youngsters.

“I think they all had a good time,” Jimmy Smith said.

The Odens and Gordon did not play on any of the foursomes Friday, but Greg admitted that he tried swinging a golf club.

“I had a great time,” Greg Oden told the Tribune-Star. “I got to ride around on the cart and hit a couple balls. I was horrible, but it was still fun.

“All of this is going for a good cause. It’s good that everybody came out and had a lot of fun.”

Oden, who mentioned Thursday at a cookout in Terre Haute that he’s recovered from the September microfracture surgery on his right knee that caused him to miss the entire 2007-08 NBA season, plans to report to the Trail Blazers for preseason workouts Aug. 25. The team will play its exhibition opener Oct. 7 at home against the Sacramento Kings and its regular-season opener Oct. 28 at the Los Angeles Lakers.

One fan who will be watching his pro career finally get started is Brazil resident and former Northview golfer Millie Akers, who played in a foursome during the afternoon session Friday.

“It’s an honor to come out here and support the Smith family and such a good cause,” Akers said between rounds. “It’s great for Greg to come back here and give his time.”

Akers, who will be a sophomore at Indiana University in the fall, said she met Greg Oden years ago through Travis Smith and they’ve remained friends even after Oden moved from Terre Haute to Indianapolis (Lawrence North High School), then to Columbus, Ohio (Ohio State), then to Portland.

“He’s still the same guy as when I first met him,” she insisted.

Jimmy Smith said Friday’s event would not have been possible without First Financial Bank and Union Hospital as corporate sponsors, Sycamore Chevrolet as lunch sponsor and 42 other businesses as hole sponsors.

Gross Division champions were Tyler Dooley, Jordan Maynor, Brian Bass and Thomas Goss, who combined to shoot a 53 in the morning session, and current/former Ball State golfers Wayne Denger, Brian Maurer, C.D. Hockersmith and Kyle Cox, who teamed up to fire a 50 in the afternoon session.



Travis Smith

MemoriaL Classic Hosted by Greg Oden



Friday at Country Club of Terre Haute

Scramble format

Morning session

Gross Division

1. — Tyler Dooley, Jordan Maynor, Brian Bass, Thomas Goss 53.

2. — Dave Patterson, Greg Livvix, Wayne Morris, Mark Harvey 55.

3. — Geoff Shuck, Mike Toney, Terry Thimlar, Bill Verdeyen 55.

Net Division

1. — Tom Ridge, Justin Ridge, Danny Ridge, Scott Ridge 58.

2. — Mike Fleck, Ryan Chattin, Jimmy Kostaroff, Brian Lassitar 58.

3. — Bob Treash, Zac Treash, Joe Hernandez, Bob Treash 58.

Skill awards

Closest to the pin — Jess Muller (No. 3), Tom Ridge (No. 7), Tom Ridge (No. 10), Kevin McKenna (No. 13), Josh Dyer (No. 16).

Longest drives — Women: Priscilla Burlison (No. 6). Men: Scott Ridge (No. 18).



Afternoon session

Gross Division

1. — Wayne Denger, Brian Maurer, C.D. Hockersmith, Kyle Cox 50.

2. — Bill Burdine, Geoff Shuck, Mike Toney, Dale Long 53.

3. — Katherine Mowat, Rachael Pruett, Nick Karazsia, Tom Jones 53.

Net Division

1. — Ross Cosat, Eric Steger, Andrew Rhodes, Don Ireland 56.

2. — Steve Heck, Larry Kirchner, Brian Kaufman, Doug Wood 56.

3. — Nick Williams, Mike Wright, Noah Place, John Newlin 57.

Skill awards

Closest to the pin — Mark Neaderhiser (No. 3), David Doerr (No. 7), Jon Holloway (No. 10), Mike Wright (No. 13), Doug Wood (No. 16).

Longest drives — Women: Rachael Pruett (No. 6). Men: Cam White (No. 18).